Edmund

Kugbila

Kugbila (6-foot-4, 317) made 32 starts at Valdosta State, primarily at right guard. He does have a bit of a weight problem that needs to be watched. He shed nearly 30 pounds in the pre-draft process. Kugbila is expected to compete with 31-year-old Geoff Hangartner for the starting right guard job.

Coach Ron Rivera is “unsure” if Kugbila will be ready for next week’s minicamp. Kugbila is expected to push incumbent Geoff Hangartner at right guard, but making the transition from small-school Valdosta State, he can ill-afford any more missed practice reps.

Kugbila (6-foot-4 1/8, 317) made 32 career starts for the D-II Blazers, primarily at guard. He was a second-team All-D2 pick as a senior. Kugbila measured in with 34 7/8-inch arms at the Combine before running a 5.31 forty and performing 23 reps on the bench. Panthers rookie GM Dave Gettleman has attacked both lines in the draft, which is logical because Carolina desperately needed help in the trenches. Kugbila could compete for snaps right away at right guard.

“Kugbila is an exciting young player who’s raw,” said coach Ron Rivera. “But he’s got tremendous upside. He’s got great skill and he’s a big, heavy body.” Hangartner, 31, started the first four games of 2012 at right guard, but he was moved to center after Ryan Kalil’s season-ending injury. Hangartner graded out as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-worst center.

Kugbila was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a hamstring injury on August 27. Since he’s out for the year, Kugbila might as well just have the knee cleaned up so he can come back 100 percent next spring.

An earlier report mistakenly said Kugbila had been waived/injured, which would have exposed him to waivers. Kugbila missed the majority of camp. Making the transition from D-II Valdosta State with a history of conditioning issues, Kugbila was a dice-roll fourth-round pick for the Panthers. So far, he’s been snake eyes. The right side of Carolina’s line is a major concern.

Kugbila yanked his hamstring on the first day of Panthers camp. The club is high on his potential, but it’s hard to imagine Kugbila pushing Garry Williams for the starting right guard job after missing so much practice time.

The 108th pick in the 2013 draft was never healthy in Carolina, spending his first two seasons on I.R. with hamstring, knee, and spinal injuries. He’s already undergone two surgeries, one on his knee and another to repair “cracks” in his spinal cord. Kugbila needs to prove he’s healthy before getting another chance.

Kugbila missed his rookie season with hamstring and knee injuries. He underwent knee surgery in September, but it wasn’t believed to be serious. Every position aside from center is up for competition on Carolina’s offensive line. Kugbila, last year’s fourth-round pick, had conditioning issues in college.

He’ll undergo spinal surgery on August 8 to repair “cracks” in his spinal cord. A fourth-round project pick out of Valdosta State last season, Kugbila missed his entire rookie year due to knee surgery. Now his sophomore campaign is already done. It further thins an offensive line that was decimated by defections and retirements this offseason.